Lowering the bar to pass the bar

In response to the historically low 26.8% pass rate on the February bar exam, four state lawmakers have urged the California Supreme Court to drop the score required to pass the bar exam. In a June 18 letter to justices, the Democratic lawmakers pointed to the second-highest scores in the nation as one of the reasons why the legal profession and judiciary fall far short of adequately representing the demographic makeup of California. California requires a mark of at least 1,440 out of a possible 2,000 to pass, the second-highest score in the country behind Delaware’s 1,450. The lawmakers required the court to lower the passing score at no more than 1,388.